Electric gas-lighting apparatus



(No Model.)

0. W. HOLTZER.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

N0. 338,748. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

N. PETERS, Mum-Lithographer, Wnhinglmv. n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES XV. HOLTZER, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

' EC'EFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,748, dated March30, 1886.

Application filed May 12, 1884. Sc|ialNo.131,14-l. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. HOLTZER, of Brookline, county of Norfolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in GasLightingApparatus, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

My invention relates to a gas-lighting apparatus specially intended forwhat is known in the trade as candleburners, or long burners having along tubular portion or shank surrounded by a white tube, whichresembles a candle in appearance. The gas-lighting device is of thatclass in which a vibrating or oscillating arm constitutes one terminalof an electric circuit, and is brought in its vibratory movement intocontact with and then disengaged from a stationary circuit terminal orelectrode located in or near the gas issuing from the burner, which islighted by the spark produced at the said electrode or circuitcloser.

It is frequently desirable to control the flow of gas by the same actionthat produces the spark; and this has been done with ordinary burners bymeans of a cook the spindle of which is concentric with or constitutesthe pivot of the vibrating electrode, the said cock being engaged by andmoved with the said electrode in the same movement by which the spark isproduced.

Oandleburners have not been provided with the cock-operating devices, asit is impossible to inclose them in the candle-tubes, which are onlylarge enough to receive the circuit-closer, and when the circuit-closersor spark-producing devices have been applied to candle-burners thelatter have been tapped or bored, or otherwise especially constructed,to provide a pivotal support for the oscillating arm, so that in casethe lighters are to be applied to burners already in use the latter haveto be removed from their fixtures and taken to a factory or workshop tohave the devices applied.

The present invention has for one of its objects to provide a lightingdevice that can readily be attached to the burner without changing thelatter or removing it from the chandelier or fixture, and also toprovide cock-operating mechanism that can be used in connection with thelighting device on candle burners.

My invention in electric gas-lighting apparatus consists in thecombination ofthe bu rnertube and oscillating cireuitcloser pivotedthereon, with a fitting at the base of the said tube containing a cockand having its spindle provided with a ratchet and a pawl and pa\vlcarrying arm loose on the said spindle and connected with the saidcircuit-closer, and aspring to restore the said arm to its normalposition, as will be described.

When desired to have the gas-cock operated automatically with thelighting device, the said gas-cock and its automatic actuating devicesare inclosed in the ornamental base which constitutes the socket forsupport-ing the candle-tube,aud the said cock-operating mechanism isoperatively connected with the oscillating electrode, so that both movesimultaneously.

The inclosiug-tubes for candle-burners have heretofore commonly beencomposed of white porcelain or glass, which is somewhat trans lucent, sothat when gasIighting devices have been used between the burner-tube andthe said inclosing imitation candle-tube the said devices have castashadow on the said candletube which can be seen from the outside, andgives a disagreeable appearance. It is also difficult or impossible toobtain candle'tubes of glass or porcelain of sufliciently uniform sizeto receive the gas-lighting devices without in some cases interferingwith the operation of said devices. To obviate this difficulty, thecandle-tubes are, in accordance with the present invention, made ofmetal enameled or otherwise whitened or colored on its outer surface, togive the tube the appearance of a candle.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a gas-burner having lighting devicesembodying this invention, the candle-tube and its ornamental base beingremoved; Fig. 2, an elevation of the burner with the candle-tube andornamental base-piece in place thereon, and Fig. 3 a detail to bereferred to.

The burner consisting, mainly, of a long slender tube, a, provided witha tip, I), and inclosed in a candle-tube, c, Fig. 2, may be of usualconstruction, the said tubeb being screwthreadcd at one end forconnecting it with the fixture in the usual manner. When the burner isto be provided with gas-lighting and gascock-operating mechanism, thelatter is contained in a fitting, d, which may be applied by merelyunscrewing the tube a from the fixture and then screwing the saidfitting d on the fixture and the tube a on the said fitting d. as shown.The spindle e of the cock is provided with a ratchet, f, adapted to beengaged by a pawl, g, mounted upon a pin, h, of an arm, h, looseupon-the said spindle and back of the said ratchet, so that when movedin the direction of the arrow by means of the rod or wire 2', connectedwith the said pin, the cock.

metal made tubular to embrace the tube a,

and provided with ears or wings p, which receive clamping-screws, bywhich the said tubular socket-pieces may be tightly clamped upon thetubea, which'latter does not require any preparation to receive the saidclamping-piece. The socket-piece p is provided with aboss, 19 to afforda sufficient pivotal bearing for the vibrating electrode a, which isprovided with the usual spring-tip co-operating with the electrode r,fixed upon the burner near the orifice for the gas,and insulatedtherefrom by suitable insulating material-such as abcstusfiberinterposed between it and the burner-- tube in the usual manner.

The cook-operating mechanismf g h is inclosed in an ornamental shell, I,constituting the socket for the candle-tube c,and the rod or wire 1',connecting the arms h and m, and the electrode or circuit-closer n areinclosed in the said tube q, so that none of the said devices arevisible, to disfigure the burner or destroy} its resemblance to acandle.

The candle-tube c is composed of metallic tubing coated with whiteenamehor otherwise colored to give it the appearance of a candle, themetallic tubing being of uniform bore and opaque, so that it maybeapplied to burners having the lighting devices without interferingwiththe operation of the said devices or showing their presence by ashadow.

- The burner-tube ais provided with the usual collar or flange, a, tosupport the candle-tube 0, concentric with the said burner-tube, and thesaid collar has a hole or notch to receive wire a. I am aware that priorto my invention gaslighting apparatus has been used in which anelectrode fastened to a pivoted rod and prowith a pair of pivoted armsor cranks arranged on a disk or washer applied to the said cockand-connected by a non-conducting cord with i a pivoted or vibratingfinger, which construction I do not herein claim.

I claim In an electric gas-lighting apparatus,-the' combination-of theburner-tube and oscillating circuit-closer pivoted thereon with afitting at the base of the said tube,containinga cockand having itsspindle provided with a ratchetand a pawl and pawl-carrying arm loose onthe said spindle and connected with the said'circuit-' closer, and aspring to restore the said arm to.

its normal position, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

OHARLES WV. HOLTZER.

Vitnesses:

J 0s. P. LIVERMORE, W. H. Sresron.

